Illegal use of BT cotton to attract criminal cases

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Seed Certification Agency of agriculture department on Tuesday wrote to the collectors of 31 districts asking them to take criminal action against those selling herbicide-tolerant BT cotton. FIRs are being registered against those selling and using Bollgard3 (weedicide glyphosate resistant) as the genetically modified cotton variety is being grown in violation of laws.

The Telangana Seed Certification Agency director Dr K Keshavalu told TOI, "We have received directions from the Union government to initiate criminal action against the sellers and buyers of Bollgard3. We were told that Mancherial police registered FIRs regarding the sale in violation under the Seed Act."

The Centre's Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has not approved Bollgard3 or any herbicide-tolerant variety for commercial use in the country. Despite no bio-safety tests being done for this variety, farmers have been buying the seed sold in unlabelled packets. It is being feared that indiscriminate use of GM cotton may result in the development of a super weed. The use of this seed is also a violation of the Environment Protection Act.

The Telangana agriculture department had in October 2017 sought directions from the Centre about how to tackle the issue. The National Seed Association of India had also made representations to the Telangana government on the sale of seeds. The weedicide-resistant crop is said to be saving farmers about 5,000 per acre in terms of labour costs towards weed removal. Due to this, the racketeers are operating in large numbers in all districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Bollgard3 is being sold openly as HT Cottonseed in several areas like Mancherial.

The Bollgard3 variety is believed to have been 'smuggled out' during lab trials in India, mainly from Gujarat. "Warning of illegal sale of herbicide-tolerant cotton in Seethampet mandal of Srikakulam in 2013 was left unattended," officials said. In 2017-18, cotton was cultivated in the state was spread over 19 lakh hectares.

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